CONDENSER

Abstract

In a condenser, an inlet connector to which a refrigerant is supplied is connected to a side wall of a first header. The inlet connector is disposed in the vicinity of an upper end portion of the first header, and is connected to the side wall of the first header through an inclined portion, which is inclined downwardly at a predetermined angle. In addition, when the refrigerant is supplied from the inlet connector into the interior of the first header, the refrigerant is supplied toward a substantially central region in the heightwise direction of the first header through the inclined portion. Therefore, the refrigerant can be made to flow substantially in a uniform manner with respect to a plurality of tubes, which are arranged in parallel in the heightwise direction of the first header, and heat exchange can be carried out.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is based upon and claims the benefit of priority from Japanese Patent Application No. 2013-231681 filed on Nov. 8, 2013, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a condenser, which is capable of carrying out heat exchange with a refrigerant by having the refrigerant flow through an interior part of the condenser while allowing air to pass through the condenser.

2. Description of the Related Art

Heretofore, in a vehicular air conditioner which is installed in a vehicle such as an automobile or the like, a condenser is used that carries out heat exchange with a refrigerant that flows through the interior of the condenser. The condenser is equipped with a pair of headers to which the refrigerant is introduced, and plural tubes that are connected between the headers. In addition, the refrigerant that is supplied to one of the headers flows respectively through the connected plural tubes which are separated mutually by equal intervals, and thereafter, the refrigerant passes through the other header and is circulated back again to the one header. In this manner, heat exchange is carried out between the refrigerant, which is circulated through the tubes, and air that passes through fins that are disposed between the tubes, thereby cooling the gaseous refrigerant to be liquefied.

With this type of condenser, in general it is understood that by having the refrigerant flow respectively in a uniform manner with respect to the plural tubes, heat exchange can be carried out between the air and the refrigerant with maximum efficiency and ideal output performance can be obtained. However, in practice, it is easy for the refrigerant to flow to the tubes in the vicinity of the inlet pipe that is connected to the header and to which the refrigerant is supplied, whereas conversely, it is difficult for the fluid to flow to the tubes at positions that are distanced from the inlet pipe. Therefore, the flow amount of the refrigerant is non-uniform in the plural tubes, which leads to the occurrence of deviations (unevenness) in heat exchange performance throughout the condenser.

In an effort to solve this problem, for example, with the condenser disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2004-353936 (Patent Document 1), a rectifying plate is disposed in the interior of the header perpendicularly with respect to the direction in which the inlet pipe and the tubes extend, and plural communication holes, which communicate with the side of the tubes, are disposed in the rectifying plate. The communication holes are formed in the rectifying plate with circular shapes in the vicinity of the inlet pipe, and in the shape of elongate holes with a large opening area at regions distanced from the inlet pipe. In addition, when the refrigerant is supplied to the interior of the header from the inlet pipe, direct flow of the refrigerant to the tubes in the vicinity of the inlet pipe is suppressed, and the refrigerant flows through the communication holes to the side of the tubes. Further, by making the opening areas of the communication holes different, a greater amount of the refrigerant flows more easily to the tubes that are distanced from the inlet pipe, and therefore, the refrigerant flows in a substantially uniform manner with respect to the plural tubes.

Further, with the condenser disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 06-074609 (Patent Document 2), a branched portion, which is branched in a bifurcated shape, is provided on an inlet pipe that is connected to the header. By connecting the branched portion with respect to the header, without disposing a rectifying plate in the interior of the header, supply positions for the refrigerant are distributed along the vertical direction of the header, whereby the flow amount of the refrigerant supplied to the plurality of tubes can be adjusted in a substantially uniform manner.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A general object of the present invention is to provide a condenser in which, with a simple structure, it is possible for a refrigerant to be circulated uniformly with respect to a plurality of tubes, and for heat exchange to be carried out evenly, without causing an increase in flow resistance upon flow of the refrigerant through the tubes.

The condenser according to the present invention has a pair of headers disposed with an interval mutually therebetween and including spaces into which a refrigerant is introduced, plural tubes that extend in a longitudinal direction and opposite ends of which are connected respectively to the headers, and plural fins disposed between adjacent ones of the tubes, wherein a condenser core is constituted from the tubes and the fins, and heat exchange of the refrigerant is performed in the condenser core.

An inlet connector and an outlet connector are both connected to one of the headers. A first pipe is connected to the inlet connector and the refrigerant is supplied to the first pipe, and a second pipe is connected to the outlet connector and the refrigerant is discharged from the second pipe. The inlet connector comprises in interior thereof a flow path through which the refrigerant flows. In addition, the flow path is inclined at a predetermined angle toward a center of the space along a direction in which the space extends, and the space is arranged uppermost in a direction of gravity in the one of the headers.

According to the present invention, in the condenser having the pair of headers disposed with an interval mutually therebetween, the inlet connector, with the first pipe connected thereto and to which the refrigerant is supplied, is connected to one of the headers, and the inlet connector has a flow path through which the refrigerant flows. The flow path is inclined at a predetermined angle toward the center of the space, which is arranged uppermost in the header in the direction of gravity.

Accordingly, even in the case that the layout of the first pipe, which is connected to the inlet connector, is restricted, and the inlet connector is arranged on the header in the vicinity of one end thereof along the direction of extension of the space, the flow of the refrigerant, which is introduced to the inlet connector from the first pipe, passes through the flow path, which is inclined toward the center along the direction of extension of the space, and can be deflected in the direction of extension of the header.

As a result, the refrigerant can be supplied from the inlet connector toward the center along the direction of extension of the space in the header, and since the refrigerant can be made to flow substantially in a uniform manner with respect to plural tubes that are connected to the header, heat exchange with the refrigerant that flows through the plural tubes can be performed evenly. Further, with a simple structure whereby the flow path in the inlet connector is inclined toward the center along the direction of extension of the space, flow resistance does not increase when the refrigerant flows through the flow path, and upon passing through the header, the refrigerant is suitably distributed and can be made to flow in an evenly divided fashion to each of the tubes.

Further, the flow path may include a first opening to which the first pipe is connected, and a second opening connected to the one of the headers, wherein the first opening and the second opening are arranged so as not to overlap on a virtual plane of projection perpendicular to an axis of the first opening. As a result, the refrigerant can be made to flow more effectively through the header, and can be distributed suitably to each of the tubes.

Furthermore, the flow path may be equipped with a changing unit configured to change a direction of flow of the refrigerant from the first opening to the second opening. Consequently, the direction of flow of the refrigerant that flows through the flow path can be changed and flow resistance can be decreased.

Further still, the changing unit may comprise an inclined portion, which is inclined toward a heightwise center of the condenser core. As a result, merely by passing through the inclined portion, the direction of flow of the refrigerant can easily be changed.

Still further, the condenser core may include a first core section, through which the refrigerant flows from one of the headers in which the inlet connector is disposed to another of the headers, and a second core section, through which the refrigerant after having circulated in the other of the headers then flows to the one of the headers. In addition, the space, which is arranged uppermost in the direction of gravity, may be disposed in the first core section, and the inlet connector may be disposed upwardly or downwardly in the direction of gravity with respect to a heightwise center of the space. By being constructed in this manner, when the refrigerant is supplied to the header from the inlet connector, the refrigerant can effectively be introduced to a substantially center region along the heightwise direction of the header.

Further, the inlet connector and the one of the headers may be joined by brazing. By this feature, for example, when the plural tubes are joined with respect to the header by brazing, since the operation of joining the inlet connector can be carried out at the same time, compared to a situation in which the operation of joining the inlet connector is carried out separately from the header, the manufacturing process steps required to produce the condenser can be reduced.

According to the present invention, the following effects and advantages are obtained.

In the condenser having the pair of headers disposed with an interval mutually therebetween, the inlet connector, with the first pipe connected thereto and to which the refrigerant is supplied, is connected to one of the headers, and the inlet connector has a flow path in the interior thereof through which the refrigerant flows. By connecting the inlet connector to the header such that the flow path is inclined toward the center of the space, which is arranged uppermost in the header in the direction of gravity, for example, even in the case that the inlet connector is arranged in the vicinity of one end along the direction of extension of the space, the flow of the refrigerant can be deflected in the direction of extension of the header and the refrigerant can be introduced into the header. As a result, the refrigerant can be supplied from the inlet connector toward the center along the direction of extension of the space in the header. Thus, since the refrigerant can be made to flow substantially in a uniform manner with respect to plural tubes that are connected to the header, heat exchange with the refrigerant that flows through the plural tubes can be performed evenly. Further, with a simple structure whereby the flow path in the inlet connector is inclined toward the center along the direction of extension of the space, flow resistance does not increase when the refrigerant flows through the flow path, and upon passing through the header, the refrigerant is suitably distributed and can be made to flow in an evenly divided fashion to each of the tubes.

The above and other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which preferred embodiments of the present invention are shown by way of illustrative example.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an overall cross sectional view of a condenser according to a first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross sectional view showing the vicinity of an inlet connector of a first header in the condenser of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3A is an enlarged cross sectional view of the condenser to which an inlet connector according to a first modification is applied;

FIG. 3B is an enlarged cross sectional view of the condenser to which an inlet connector according to a second modification is applied;

FIG. 4 is an overall cross sectional view of a condenser according to a second embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged cross sectional view showing the vicinity of an inlet connector of a first header in the condenser of FIG. 4; and

FIG. 6 is an overall cross sectional view of a condenser according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

As shown in FIG. 1, a condenser 10 includes a pair of headers, i.e., a first header 12 and a second header 14, plural tubes 16, which are disposed between the first header 12 and the second header 14, plural fins 18 that are bent in a wavelike shape and disposed between the tubes 16, and a third header 20 that is connected to the second header 14. In addition, in the condenser 10, the tubes 16 are arranged substantially in parallel, and the first and second headers 12, 14 and the third header 20 are arranged on both ends of the tubes 16 extending in a vertical direction (the directions of arrows A1 and A2). Together therewith, the fins 18, which are bent in a wavelike shape from a thin-plate material such as aluminum or the like, for example, are disposed in a heightwise direction (the directions of arrows A1 and A2) between two adjacent tubes 16.

The first and second headers 12, 14 are of a hollow cylindrical shape having a predetermined length in the heightwise direction of the condenser 10 (the directions of arrows A1 and A2). On the first header 12, which is disposed on one end side in the widthwise direction (the direction of the arrow B1) of the condenser 10, there are connected an inlet connector 22 to which the refrigerant is introduced from the exterior, and an outlet connector 24 from which the refrigerant is led out after having circulated in the interior of the condenser 10.

The inlet connector 22 is disposed on a side wall in the vicinity of the upper end of the first header 12, and the outlet connector 24 is disposed on the side wall in the vicinity of the lower end of the first header 12. The inlet connector 22 and the outlet connector 24 are disposed substantially in parallel mutually with one another. On the other hand, in the interiors of the first and second headers 12, 14, interior spaces 26a, 26b are formed respectively to which the supplied refrigerant is introduced.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the inlet connector 22 is formed, for example, from a metal material, and includes a main body portion 30 to which a supply pipe (first pipe, first opening) 28 is connected and through which the refrigerant is supplied, and an inclined portion 32, which is inclined at a predetermined angle with respect to the main body portion 30.

The main body portion 30 is disposed substantially perpendicularly with respect to the direction of extension of the first header 12 (the directions of arrows A1 and A2), and an end of the inclined portion 32 is connected to the side wall of the first header 12. Further, in a condition in which the inclined portion 32 is inclined downwardly in the direction of gravity (the direction of the arrow A1) on the side wall of the first header 12, the inlet connector 22 is joined by brazing with respect to the side wall.

On the other hand, in the interior of the main body portion 30, a first supply passage (flow path) 34 is formed that penetrates therethrough along the axial direction (the directions of arrows B1 and B2), and the supply pipe 28 to which a non-illustrated refrigerant is supplied is inserted and connected in the interior of the main body portion 30.

In the interior of the inclined portion 32, a second supply passage (flow path) 36 is formed, which penetrates along the axial direction and is inclined at a predetermined angle with respect to the first supply passage 34. One end of the second supply passage 36 is connected to the first supply passage 34, and the other end thereof is connected to the first header 12 and communicates with the interior of the first header 12 through a communication hole (second opening) 38 that opens on the side wall of the first header 12.

More specifically, by the inlet connector 22, when the refrigerant is made to flow from the first supply passage 34 to the second supply passage 36, the direction of flow of the refrigerant is changed by the inclined second supply passage 36. Stated otherwise, the second supply passage 36 functions as a changing unit for changing the direction of flow of the refrigerant that flows from the first supply passage 34.

Moreover, the angle of inclination of the inclined portion 32 is set to an acute angle, which is less than 90° with respect to the direction of extension of the main body portion 30 (the directions of arrows B1 and B2).

The communication hole 38 is offset in a direction perpendicular to the axis of the first supply passage 34, and more specifically, in the direction of extension of the first header 12 (the directions of arrows A1 and A2), the communication hole 38 is formed at a position which is offset by a predetermined distance in a downward direction (the direction of the arrow A1) with respect to the first supply passage 34. Stated otherwise, the first supply passage 34 and the communication hole 38 (the end of the second supply passage 36) are disposed at a distance so as not to overlap one another on a virtual plane of projection perpendicular to the axis of the first supply passage 34.

The outlet connector 24, for example, is formed in a cylindrical shape from a metal material and is connected perpendicularly with respect to the direction of extension (the directions of arrows A1 and A2) of the first header 12. A discharge passage 40 penetrates along the interior of the outlet connector 24. In addition, a discharge pipe (second pipe) 42 through which the refrigerant is discharged to the exterior is connected to one end of the outlet connector 24, whereas the other end thereof communicates with the interior space 26a of the first header 12 through a communication hole 44 that opens in the side wall of the first header 12. By this feature, the interior space 26a of the first header 12 communicates with the discharge pipe 42 through the discharge passage 40 of the outlet connector 24. In the same manner as the inlet connector 22, the outlet connector 24 is joined by brazing with respect to the side wall of the first header 12.

Further, a partition wall 46 is disposed in the interior space 26a of the first header 12 at a position upwardly (in the direction of the arrow A2) with respect to the connection location of the outlet connector 24. By the partition wall 46, the interior space 26a is divided into a first space 48 that communicates with the inlet connector 22 and a second space 50 that communicates with the outlet connector 24. More specifically, the refrigerant, which is supplied from the inlet connector 22 to the first space 48 of the first header 12, and the refrigerant, which is to be discharged to the exterior from the second space 50 of the first header 12 through the outlet connector 24, are separated from each other by the partition wall 46.

In addition, in the first header 12, ends of the plural tubes 16 are connected to a side wall located on an opposite side from the side wall to which the inlet connector 22 and the outlet connector 24 are connected, such that the ends of the tubes 16 communicate respectively with the first and second spaces 48, 50.

The second header 14 is disposed substantially in parallel with the first header 12, and is formed with a length in the heightwise direction (the directions of arrows A1 and A2) that is shorter than the length of the first header 12. An upper end of the second header 14 is disposed substantially at the same height as the upper end of the first header 12, whereas the lower end thereof is disposed upwardly (in the direction of the arrow A2) with respect to the lower end of the first header 12.

Further, in the second header 14, other ends of the plural tubes 16 are connected to a side wall that faces toward the side of the first header 12 (in the direction of the arrow B1).

The third header 20, for example, is formed in a hollow cylindrical shape and is disposed laterally to the second header 14 in a direction (the direction of the arrow B2) away from the first header 12. In addition, the third header 20 is offset downwardly (in the direction of the arrow A1) with respect to the second header 14 by a predetermined distance, and is arranged substantially in parallel with the second header 14.

A lower end side wall of the second header 14 and a side wall of the third header 20, which face one another, are connected mutually by a connecting pipe 52. The connecting pipe 52 is formed in a tubular shape having a communication path in the interior thereof. One end of the connecting pipe 52 is inserted into the interior of the second header 14, and another end thereof is inserted into the interior of the third header 20, thereby placing the respective interior spaces 26b, 26c in communication with each other. Consequently, the refrigerant that is introduced to the second header 14 passes through the connecting pipe 52 and is led into the third header 20.

Further, on the third header 20, among the plural tubes 16, other ends of a portion of the tubes 16, which are not connected to the second header 14, are connected to a side wall of the third header 20 that projects downwardly (in the direction of the arrow A1) with respect to the second header 14, and these tubes 16 communicate with the interior space 26c. More specifically, among the plural tubes 16, the portion of the tubes 16 that are connected to the third header 20 is formed with a length dimension that is longer than the tubes 16 that are connected to the second header 14.

The tubes 16 are formed by flattened pipes that are made, for example, from an aluminum material, and are formed in straight line shapes having predetermined lengths. Additionally, as shown in FIG. 1, the tubes 16 extend in a substantially horizontal direction (the directions of arrows B1 and B2), and are disposed in plurality with a predetermined distance mutually therebetween in the heightwise direction (the directions of arrows A1 and A2). Ends of the tubes 16 are connected respectively to the first header 12, whereas the other ends of the tubes 16 are connected respectively to the second header 14 or the third header 20.

The refrigerant, which is supplied from the inlet connector 22 to the first header 12, after having flowed to the second header 14 along the direction of the arrow B2 through the plural tubes 16, passes from the interior space 26b of the second header 14 through the connecting pipe 52, and moves into the interior space 26c of the third header 20. Then, the refrigerant passes again through the tubes 16 along the direction of the arrow B1 and flows into the second space 50 of the first header 12, whereupon the refrigerant is discharged through the outlet connector 24.

With the condenser 10, among the plural tubes 16, a region where the first header 12 and the second header 14 are connected mutually through a plurality of the tubes 16 and the refrigerant flows into the second header 14 from the first header 12 functions as a condenser section (first core section) S1. On the other hand, a region where the third header 20 and the first header 12 are connected through a plurality of the tubes 16 and the refrigerant is circulated back to the first header 12 from the third header 20 functions as a supercooling section (second core section) S2.

In addition, the inlet connector 22 is disposed at a position on the first header 12 which is higher (in the direction of the arrow A2) than an imaginary line M (=L/2) defined at one half of the height dimension L of the condenser section S1.

It should be noted that, concerning the above-described condenser 10, a case has been described in which the condenser 10 is of a one-pass structure in which, in the condenser section S1 thereof, the refrigerant flows in one direction (the direction of the arrow B2) from the first header 12 toward the side of the second header 14.

The condenser 10 according to the first embodiment of the present invention is constructed basically as described above. Next, operations and advantages of the condenser 10 will be described.

At first, the refrigerant, which is in a high temperature high pressure gaseous state having been compressed by a non-illustrated compressor, passes through the supply pipe 28 and is supplied to the inlet connector 22, and through the first and second supply passages 34, 36 of the inlet connector 22, the refrigerant is led into the first space 48 of the first header 12. In the inlet connector 22, the inclined portion 32, which is connected to the first header 12, is inclined at a predetermined angle downwardly in the direction of gravity (the direction of the arrow A1) with respect to the main body portion 30, and communicates with the first space 48 through the second supply passage 36. Therefore, the refrigerant is introduced into the first header 12 while being directed toward the substantially center region thereof along the heightwise direction (the direction of arrows A1 and A2) of the first space 48.

In this manner, the refrigerant not only is introduced in the vicinity of the upper end in the heightwise direction (the directions of arrows A1 and A2) of the first header 12 where the inlet connector 22 is connected, but also is introduced substantially in a uniform manner toward the substantially center region and the downward vicinity along the heightwise direction (the directions of arrows A1 and A2) of the first header 12. Stated otherwise, in the first header 12, the refrigerant is supplied in a roughly uniform manner toward the substantially center region and the lower end side in the first space 48, while avoiding being supplied in a concentrated manner in the vicinity of the upper end where the inlet connector 22 is connected.

In addition, the refrigerant supplied to the first header 12 flows substantially in a uniform manner with respect to each of the plurality of tubes 16, and having passed through the tubes 16, when the refrigerant flows to the side of the second header 14 (in the direction of the arrow B2), the refrigerant is cooled and liquefied by the air that flows through and between the fins 18, and the liquefied refrigerant is introduced into the interior space 26b of the second header 14. At this time, the refrigerant flows evenly with respect to the plural tubes 16, whereby the refrigerant can be cooled evenly and efficiently.

The refrigerant then passes from the second header 14 through the connecting pipe 52 and moves into the interior space 26c of the third header 20, and after being separated into gas and liquid components, only the liquid refrigerant passes through the plural tubes 16 that are connected to the third header 20, and is further cooled by flowing through the tubes 16 to the side of the first header 12 (in the direction of the arrow B1).

With the condenser 10, among the plural tubes 16, a region where the first header 12 and the second header 14 are connected mutually through part of the plurality of the tubes 16 and the refrigerant flows into the second header 14 from the first header 12 functions as one condenser section (first core section) S1, whereas a region where the third header 20 and the first header 12 are connected mutually through the remaining tubes 16 and the refrigerant is circulated back to the first header 12 from the third header 20 functions as a supercooling section (second core section) S2.

Lastly, the refrigerant in a liquefied state, which has been introduced through the tubes 16 into the second space 50 of the first header 12, passes through the discharge passage 40 of the outlet connector 24 and is led out to the discharge pipe 42.

In the foregoing manner, according to the first embodiment, in the condenser 10, which includes the inlet connector 22 through which the refrigerant is supplied to the side wall of the first header 12 and the outlet connector 24 through which the refrigerant is led out, for example, even in the case that, due to the layout relationship of the supply pipe 28 to be connected, the inlet connector 22 is disposed on the first header 12 in the vicinity of the upper end of the first header 12, by connecting the inclined portion 32, which is inclined downwardly in the direction of gravity (in the direction of the arrow A1) with respect to the side wall, the direction in which the refrigerant is introduced with respect to the first header 12 can be deflected downwardly in the direction of gravity (the direction of the arrow A1).

For this reason, from the inlet connector 22, which is connected in the vicinity of the upper end of the first header 12, the refrigerant can be supplied toward a substantially center region in the heightwise direction of the first header 12, accompanied by the refrigerant being able to flow substantially evenly with respect to the plural tubes 16 that are arranged in parallel in the heightwise direction. As a result, heat exchange is carried out evenly between the refrigerant and the air that passes between the plural tubes 16, cooling of the refrigerant can be performed efficiently, and the heat exchange capability of the condenser 10 can be enhanced.

Further, with a simple structure whereby the inclined portion 32, which is inclined downwardly, is provided in the inlet connector 22 that supplies the refrigerant to the first header 12, flow resistance is not increased when the refrigerant flows through the first and second supply passages 34, 36, and in the first space 48 of the first header 12, the refrigerant is suitably distributed and flows in an evenly divided fashion to each of the tubes 16, whereby the flow amount of the refrigerant can be made substantially uniform.

Furthermore, in the case that the inlet connector 22 is disposed in the vicinity of the upper end of the first header 12 and at a position upwardly (in the direction of the arrow A2) from the center (imaginary line M) of the height dimension L of the condenser section S1 in the first header 12, since the refrigerant can be introduced suitably through the inlet connector 22 toward the substantially center region along the heightwise direction (the directions of arrows A1 and A2) of the first header 12, the refrigerant can effectively be made to flow substantially in a uniform manner to each of the respective tubes 16.

Further still, by providing the inlet connector 22 having the inclined portion 32 that is inclined with respect to the main body portion 30, and connecting the inlet connector 22 to the first header 12, the refrigerant can be introduced while being directed toward the substantially center region along the heightwise direction (the directions of arrows A1 and A2) of the first header 12. Therefore, for example, compared with the structure, as in the condenser of the conventional technique, in which the connection region where the inlet pipe is connected to the header branches in a forked manner, the components that make up the condenser 10 can be simplified, and the flow resistance of the refrigerant that flows through the interior can be further reduced.

Still further, by joining the inlet connector 22 and the outlet connector 24 by brazing with respect to the side wall of the first header 12, the plural tubes 16 can be joined simultaneously by brazing with respect to the first and second headers 12, 14. As a result, compared to a situation in which the inlet connector 22 and the outlet connector 24 are joined with respect to the first header 12 separately from the tubes 16, the manufacturing process steps required to produce the condenser 10 can be reduced.

Further, the above-described inlet connector 22 is not limited to a case in which the first supply passage 34 to which the supply pipe 28 is connected extends substantially in a horizontal direction (in the directions of the arrows B1 and B2), whereas the second supply passage 36 is inclined downwardly (in the direction of the arrow A1) with respect to the first supply passage 34. For example, with an inlet connector 62 according to a first modification of a condenser 60, as shown in FIG. 3A, a first supply passage 64 and a second supply passage 66 may be disposed along a straight line, and the second supply passage 66 may be connected in an inclined manner with respect to the first header 12 toward the substantially center region along the direction in which the first header 12 extends. Stated otherwise, in the inlet connector 62, a supply passage that extends substantially in a horizontal direction need not necessarily be provided, and only supply passages that are inclined in a downward direction may be provided.

With the inlet connector 62 according to the first modification, for example, when the end of the supply pipe 28 that is connected to the first supply passage 64 is connected in a downwardly inclined manner from a location above the inlet connector 62, the supply pipe 28 can suitably be connected substantially in a straight line with respect to the first supply passage 64.

Further, with an inlet connector 72 according to a second modification of a condenser 70, as shown in FIG. 3B, a first supply passage 74 may be inclined upwardly (in the direction of the arrow A2) toward the side of a second supply passage 76 (in the direction of the arrow B2), and the second supply passage 76 may be inclined downwardly (in the direction of the arrow A1) toward the side of the first header 12 (in the direction of the arrow B2) and connected to the first header 12. Together therewith, the first supply passage 74 and the second supply passage 76 may be connected mutually by a communication passage 78 that extends substantially in a horizontal direction. Moreover, the first supply passage 74 and the second supply passage 76 need not necessarily be connected through the communication passage 78, but may be connected directly to one another.

With the inlet connector 72 according to the second modification, for example, when the end of the supply pipe 28 that is connected to the first supply passage 74 is connected in an upwardly inclined manner from a location below the inlet connector 72, the supply pipe 28 can suitably be connected substantially in a straight line with respect to the first supply passage 74.

More specifically, in the inlet connectors 22, 62, 72, insofar as the second supply passages 36, 66, 76 thereof are connected to the first header 12 while being inclined at a predetermined angle toward the substantially center region along the direction of extension (the direction of the arrow A1) of the first header 12, no restriction is placed on whether the first supply passages 34, 64, 74 are connected in a straight line or are connected while being inclined at a predetermined angle with respect to the second supply passages 36, 66, 76.

Stated otherwise, depending on the layout of the supply pipe 28 to be connected, the first supply passages 34, 64, 74 of the inlet connectors 22, 62, 72 are formed at an angle that enables the end of the supply pipe 28 to be connected in a straight line together with the first supply passages 34, 64, 74, whereby the supply pipe 28 can be connected easily and reliably with respect to the first supply passages 34, 64, 74.

Next, a condenser 100 according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5. Constituent elements thereof, which are common with those of the condenser 10 according to the above-described first embodiment, are denoted by the same reference characters, and detailed description of such features is omitted.

As shown in FIG. 4, the condenser 100 according to the second embodiment differs from the condenser 10 according to the first embodiment, in that the inlet connector 104 connected to the first header 102 is connected downwardly (in the direction of the arrow A1) with respect to the center (imaginary line M) of the height dimension L of the condenser section S1.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the inlet connector 104 of the condenser 100 is formed, for example, from a metal material, and includes a main body portion 30 to which a supply pipe 28 is connected and through which the refrigerant is supplied, and an inclined portion 106, which is inclined at a predetermined angle with respect to the main body portion 30. The main body portion 30 is disposed substantially perpendicularly with respect to the direction of extension of the first header 102, and the inclined portion 106 is inclined at a predetermined angle upwardly to the direction of gravity (in the direction of the arrow A2) and is connected to the side wall of the first header 102. In addition, the inlet connector 104 is disposed at a position on the first header 102 which is lower (in the direction of the arrow A1) than an imaginary line M (=L/2) defined at one half of the height dimension L of the condenser section S1.

In the interior of the inclined portion 106, a second supply passage 108 is formed, which is inclined with respect to the first supply passage 34 of the main body portion 30. The second supply passage 108 penetrates along the axial direction, and one end thereof is connected to the first supply passage 34, whereas the other end thereof is connected to the first header 102 and communicates with the interior of the first header 102 through a communication hole (second opening) 110 that opens on the side wall of the first header 102.

The communication hole 110 is offset in a direction perpendicular to the axis of the first supply passage 34, and more specifically, in the direction of extension of the first header 102 (the directions of arrows A1 and A2), the communication hole 110 is formed at a position which is offset by a predetermined distance in an upward direction (the direction of the arrow A2) with respect to the first supply passage 34. Stated otherwise, the first supply passage 34 and the communication hole 110 (the end of the second supply passage 108) are disposed at a distance so as not to overlap one another on a virtual plane of projection perpendicular to the axis of the first supply passage 34.

In addition, with the above-described condenser 100, when the refrigerant, which is in a high temperature high pressure gaseous state, passes through the supply pipe 28 and is supplied to the first supply passage 34 of the inlet connector 104, the inclined portion 106 thereof is inclined at a predetermined angle upwardly to the direction of gravity (in the direction of the arrow A2), and communicates with the interior space 26a through the second supply passage 108. Therefore, the refrigerant is introduced into the first header 102 while being directed toward the substantially center region thereof along the heightwise direction (the directions of arrows A1 and A2) of the first space 48.

In this manner, the refrigerant not only is introduced in the vicinity of the lower end in the heightwise direction (the directions of arrows A1 and A2) of the first header 102 where the inlet connector 104 is connected, but also is introduced toward the substantially center region and the upward vicinity along the heightwise direction of the first header 102. More specifically, the refrigerant is supplied with respect to the first header 102 in a roughly uniform manner toward the substantially center region and the upper end side, while avoiding being supplied in a concentrated manner in the vicinity of the lower end where the inlet connector 22 is connected.

In addition, the refrigerant supplied to the first header 102 flows substantially in a uniform manner with respect to each of the tubes 16. When the refrigerant flows to the side of the second header 14 through the tubes 16, the refrigerant is cooled and liquefied by the air that flows through and between the fins 18, and the liquefied refrigerant is introduced into the interior space 26b of the second header 14. At this time, the refrigerant flows evenly with respect to the plural tubes 16, whereby the refrigerant can be cooled evenly and efficiently.

In the foregoing manner, according to the second embodiment, in the condenser 100, for example, even in the case that, due to the layout relationship of the supply pipe 28 to be connected, the inlet connector 104 that is connected to the first header 102 is disposed in the vicinity of the lower end thereof, by connecting the inclined portion 106, which is inclined upwardly to the direction of gravity (in the direction of the arrow A2) with respect to the side wall, the direction in which the refrigerant is introduced with respect to the first header 102 can be deflected upwardly (in the direction of the arrow A2) with respect to the direction of gravity.

For this reason, even in the case that the inlet connector 104 is disposed in the vicinity of the lower end of the first header 102, the refrigerant can be supplied to a substantially central region in the heightwise direction of the first header 102, accompanied by the refrigerant being able to flow substantially evenly with respect to the plural tubes 16 that are arranged in parallel in the heightwise direction. As a result, heat exchange is carried out evenly between the refrigerant and the air that passes between the plural tubes 16, cooling of the refrigerant can be performed efficiently, and the heat exchange capability of the condenser 100 can be enhanced.

Further, with a simple structure whereby the inclined portion 106, which is inclined upwardly, is provided in the inlet connector 104 that supplies the refrigerant to the first header 102, in the first space 48 of the first header 102, the refrigerant is suitably distributed and flows in an evenly divided fashion to each of the tubes 16, whereby the flow amount of the refrigerant can be made substantially uniform.

Furthermore, in the case that the inlet connector 104 is disposed in the vicinity of the lower end of the first header 102, and at a position downwardly (in the direction of the arrow A1) from the center of the height dimension L of the condenser section S1 in the first header 102, since the refrigerant can be introduced suitably through the inlet connector 104 toward the substantially center region along the heightwise direction (the directions of arrows A1 and A2) of the first header 102, the refrigerant can effectively be made to flow substantially in a uniform manner to each of the respective tubes 16.

Further still, by joining the inlet connector 104 by brazing with respect to the side wall of the first header 102, the plural tubes 16 can be joined simultaneously by brazing with respect to the first and second headers 102, 14. As a result, compared to a situation in which the inlet connector 104 is joined with respect to the first header 102 separately from when the tubes 16 are joined, the manufacturing process steps required to produce the condenser 100 can be reduced.

Further still, with the condensers 10, 100 according to the above-described first and second embodiments, cases have been described in which the inlet connectors 22, 104 are connected substantially perpendicularly with respect to the direction of extension of the first headers 12, 102 (the directions of arrows A1 and A2). However, the invention is not limited to this feature. For example, in the event that the second supply passages 36, 108 in the inlet connectors 22, 104 are connected in an inclined manner toward the center in the direction of extension of the first headers 12, 102, the first supply passages 34 of the inlet connectors 22, 104 may open in a left-right lateral direction (widthwise direction) with respect to the direction of extension (the directions of arrows A1 and A2) of the first headers 12, 102.

Next, a condenser 150 according to a third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 6. Constituent elements thereof, which are common with those of the condenser 10 according to the above-described first embodiment, are denoted by the same reference characters, and detailed description of such features is omitted.

The condenser 150 according to the third embodiment differs from the condenser 10 according to the first embodiment in that a three-pass structure is provided, in which, in the condenser section S1, a first header 152 is divided (into three parts) by two first and second partition walls 154, 156, whereas a second header 158 is divided (into two parts) by a third partition wall 160, and the refrigerant is circulated one and a half times through the plurality of tubes 16 between the first header 152 and the second header 158.

As shown in FIG. 6, in the condenser 150, the first header 152 is divided into three parts by the first partition wall 154, which is disposed in the substantially central vicinity along the heightwise direction (the directions of arrows A1 and A2) of the first header 152, and the second partition wall 156, which is disposed in the vicinity of the outlet connector 24. In addition, the interior space 26a is divided into a first space 162 between the first partition wall 154 and the upper wall portion of the first header 152, and a second space 164 that is partitioned by the first partition wall 154 and the second partition wall 156. In the first header 152, the first and second spaces 162, 164 serve as parts of the condenser section S1.

In addition, in the first header 152, the inlet connector 22 is connected with respect to the first space 162, and together therewith, the inlet connector 22 is connected at a position which is higher (in the direction of the arrow A2) than the heightwise center (imaginary line M) of the first space 162. Similar to the condenser 10 according to the first embodiment, the inlet connector 22 includes the second supply passage 36, which is inclined downwardly at a predetermined angle with respect to the first supply passage 34.

Further, a third space 166 is formed between the lower end of the interior space 26a of the first header 152 and the second partition wall 156, and the outlet connector 24 is connected to the interior space 26a.

On the other hand, in the second header 158, the third partition wall 160 is disposed higher than the position where the connecting pipe 52 is connected, and the interior space 26b is divided by the third partition wall 160 into a fourth space 170 that is disposed upwardly, and a fifth space 172 that is disposed downwardly in the interior of the second header 158. In addition, the connecting pipe 52 is connected to the fifth space 172.

With the above-described condenser 150 according to the third embodiment, when the refrigerant, which is in a high temperature high pressure gaseous state, passes through the supply pipe 28 and is supplied to the first supply passage 34 of the inlet connector 22, the refrigerant is introduced into the first header 152 while being directed toward the substantially center region thereof along the heightwise direction (the directions of arrows A1 and A2) of the first space 162.

In this manner, the refrigerant not only is introduced in the vicinity of the upper end in the heightwise direction (the directions of arrows A1 and A2) of the first space 162 in the first header 152 where the inlet connector 22 is connected, but also is introduced toward the substantially center region and the downward vicinity along the heightwise direction of the first space 162. More specifically, the refrigerant is supplied with respect to the first space 162 in a roughly uniform manner toward the substantially center region and the lower end side in the first space 162, while avoiding being supplied in a concentrated manner in the vicinity of the upper end where the inlet connector 22 is connected.

In addition, the refrigerant supplied to the first space 162 of the first header 152 flows substantially in a uniform manner with respect to each of the tubes 16. After the refrigerant has flowed through the tubes 16 into the fourth space 170 of the second header 158, the refrigerant passes again through the respective tubes 16, flows (in the direction of the arrow 31) to the side of the first header 152, and is introduced into the second space 164. The refrigerant then passes again through the respective tubes 16 from the second space 164, flows to the side of the second header 158 (in the direction of the arrow B2), and is introduced into the fifth space 172. After the refrigerant has moved to the interior space 26c of the third header 20 through the connecting pipe 52, the refrigerant is separated into gas and liquid components, whereupon only the liquid refrigerant passes through the plural tubes 16, and the refrigerant is further cooled by flowing through the tubes 16 to the side of the first header 152 (in the direction of the arrow B1).

Lastly, the refrigerant in a liquefied state, which has been introduced through the tubes 16 into the third space 166 of the first header 152, passes through the discharge passage 40 of the outlet connector 24 and is led out to the discharge pipe 42.

In the above-described condensers 10, 100, 150, the number of passes through the condenser section S1 is not limited, and even in the case that the inlet connector 22 is connected at a position upwardly or downwardly with respect to the heightwise center of the spaces of the first headers 12, 102, 152 that are arranged uppermost in the direction of gravity (in the direction of the arrow A2), insofar as the flow paths are included, which are inclined toward the center in the heightwise direction, the refrigerant can be made to flow without deviation (i.e., evenly) with respect to each of the tubes 16 that are connected to such spaces.

The condenser according to the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, but various changes may be made thereto without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

Claims

1. A condenser having a pair of headers disposed with an interval mutually therebetween and including spaces into which a refrigerant is introduced, plural tubes that extend in a longitudinal direction and opposite ends of which are connected respectively to the headers, and plural fins disposed between adjacent ones of the tubes, wherein a condenser core is constituted from the tubes and the fins, and heat exchange of the refrigerant is performed in the condenser core, wherein:

an inlet connector and an outlet connector are both connected to one of the headers, a first pipe is connected to the inlet connector and the refrigerant is supplied to the first pipe, a second pipe is connected to the outlet connector and the refrigerant is discharged from the second pipe;

the inlet connector comprises in interior thereof a flow path through which the refrigerant flows; and

the flow path is inclined at a predetermined angle toward a center of the space along a direction in which the space extends, the space being arranged uppermost in a direction of gravity in the one of the headers.

2. The condenser according to claim 1, wherein the flow path includes a first opening to which the first pipe is connected, and a second opening connected to the one of the headers, and the first opening and the second opening are arranged so as not to overlap on a virtual plane of projection perpendicular to an axis of the first opening.

3. The condenser according to claim 2, wherein the flow path comprises a changing unit configured to change a direction of flow of the refrigerant from the first opening to the second opening.

4. The condenser according to claim 3, wherein the changing unit comprises an inclined portion, which is inclined toward a heightwise center of the condenser core.

5. The condenser according to claim 1, wherein the condenser core includes a first core section, through which the refrigerant flows from the one of the headers in which the inlet connector is disposed to another of the headers, and a second core section, through which the refrigerant after having circulated in the other of the headers then flows to the one of the headers, the space, which is arranged uppermost in the direction of gravity, being disposed in the first core section, and the inlet connector being disposed upwardly or downwardly in the direction of gravity with respect to a heightwise center of the space.

6. The condenser according to claim 1, wherein the inlet connector and the one of the headers are joined by brazing.